Guatemala | Finca Villaure

FARM: Finca Villaure
REGION: Huehuetenango
ALTITUDE : 1650 – 1800 MASL
VARIETAL : Bourbon and Caturra
PROCESS : Washed and patio dried
FLAVOUR NOTES : Red Cherries, Dried Apricot and Baker's Chocolate
SHADE GROWN

With altitudes over 2,000 meters, Huehue is the highest region of Guatemala. Historically, it has been one of the more remote areas of the country and accessibility has been challenging. In the past, many farmers used oxen or have had to carry their coffees on their back.

The biggest challenge for the 2019 harvest across Huehuetenango was finding pickers. Farms have normally been able to count on their own region's pickers, however this year many migrated to the USA. Farms had to operate with a reduced number of pickers. This meant that farmers needed to change their approach to picking - so sorting was really crucial to maintaining quality.

Aurelio grew up on his father’s farm, Finca La Esperanza where his father taught him the ins and outs of farming. His ultimate dream was to have his own farm,
which he purchased in 1986. He called it Villaure, which is a combination of his first and last names: ’Vill’, from Villatoro and ‘Aure’ from Aurelio. Noted for his hard work, Aurelio has been awarded many national and international awards. Villaure has competed in the Cup of Excellence four times. He has also been awarded by Illy as the Best Farmer in Guatemala and Best Farmer in Huehuetenango.

This season, Aurelio’s two sons joined the family business.